RangeThe range is in the southeastern part of the United States,some of eastern parts of North America.

ClimateThe cimate is hot and humid and partof their climate is snowy and cold

DescriptionRed wolves arethe color of the woods that they inhabit.

Active

Red wolves are usually more
active at dusk, evening, and dawn than they are during the day.

FoodIt hunts meat such as white-tail deer, raccoons, rabbits,and rodents.Life SpanIts life span is 10-12 yearsSocial StructureThey live in smaller packs than gray wolves,and sometimes solitaire.GestationThe gestation period is 60-63 days.Average LitterThe average litter is 4-5 pups, sometimes as few as 1 pup, sometimes as many as 9 pups.Predators

Natural enemies of the red wolf
are humans, alligators, and parasites such as mange and heartworm.
At two island propagation sites in South Carolina and Florida,
wolves have been killed by alligators. One of the alligators swallowed
the radio collar and biologists followed the radio signal right
to the gator.

Why Endangered?Three problems threaten the future of red wolves - the loss of habitat, the hunting of wolves,and red wolves mating with coyotes. Red wolves need 10 - 100 square miles of habitat to hunt and live.Threats to Survival

The expansion of agriculture,
logging and human settlement cleared the forest home of red wolves. Between 1900 - 1920 red wolves were
hunted because they preyed on cattle. As
the population of red wolves declined, coyotes expanded into its
territory. The red wolves in North Carolina all have some coyote
genetics, which came from the founding population from Texas and
Louisiana.

What is being done to protect this species?

The red wolf is an endangered species
and is protected by federal law. There are a number of groups
that are involved with protecting wolves. Captive breeding is
being done by many of those groups, and the re-introduction of
red wolves is being done in certain parts of the United States.
Wolves are free-ranging in a reintroduced population in northeastern
North Carolina, and on three islands off the coasts of South Carolina
and Florida.

What can YOU do to help?

You have already helped by learning
more about the red wolf. Tell you friends and family about the
red wolf. Let your elected officials know that you support red
wolf recovery. One group to check out is Defenders
of Wildlife. They publish a monthly magazine that you might
be able to find in your local library. Also the International
Wolf Center located in Elly MN. is very involved with wolves.
Write an e-mail to them at wolfinfo@wolf.org,
they might be able to suggest some other groups. Join a conservation
group that works on red wolf issues such as the Red Wolf Coalition.
They are an organization formed to help save the red wolf. The
address is:

Follow the magnificent
and rare red wolf from the brink of extinction, to captivity,
then back into wild. For many years Roland was the Red Wolf Species
coordinator. An insider's look at how animals are reintroduced
into the wild